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Implementation Design


As you know, probably having seen an initiative or two wither on the vine, the steps necessary to implement change are as important as the change itself – some would say even more important. Opgrade just doesn’t design programs or train people in Continuous Excellence, we dedicate ourselves to making sure the implementation of these changes are properly designed with your company in mind.

Financial Justification and Tracking


What are the key metrics you need to justify change? How do you track the financial benefit of reducing the time it takes to perform a process by 27 seconds, or keeping a person at their station for an additional 11 minutes per shift? With Opgrade, you can be assured that changes will not be recommended without a financial justification for that change, and we do not assist implementations without developing the means to track the progress financially.

Visual Factory

How is information transferred in your factory? Are signs clear and understandable at a glance? Do you have an andon system? Opgrade assists in determining which information needs to be transmitted and the best way to do it: signage, charts, and more


Quality Assurance (QA)


Implementing Quality is one thing… how do you assure it? Have you provided the confidence that quality is assured? Opgrade will assist in developing a QA feedback loop, allowing you to monitor processes and gather measurements systemically.

Before the Kaizen


The change process begins before the Kaizen with the determination of relevant metrics and the gathering of data so you can establish a baseline from which goals will be determined. At Opgrade, we believe the worst thing you can do in a Kaizan event is transform it into a brainstorming session without data, so we help you in determining which data is relevant.


Enterprise Management


Supporting companies during transformative periods is impossible to do without a birds-eye, 360-degree view of the entire enterprise. Opgrade can give your company the means to organize your company’s resources and information flow so that organizational development can proceed apace.

Cash Conversion Performance


How is your Cash Conversion Cycle performing? Is it short enough to fund growth, or are you limited by the time it takes inventory to be converted to cash… and then back again? Increasing your Cash Conversion performance increases your competitiveness, and Opgrade can show you how to do this.


Creating a Passion


Taking the time to nurture devotion and passion from your employees is a constant challenge, requiring leadership and vision. In assisting you in developing a Continuous Improvement culture, Opgrade helps create that passion by designing a program where people can become passionate about the possibilities inherent in both your company… and themselves.

Clarifying the Vision


Goals and objectives help in the operation, but truly Great companies have vision, a guiding dream that infills the company with purpose. What is your vision?

Engaging at All Levels


Change doesn’t come from the top, people must engage change, all up and down the flowchart. Alongside organizational leaders, Opgrade identifies the need for change and we assist in communicating it up and down the organization.

Pride of Ownership


Can your employees point to something in the company as “theirs”? If not, why not? Giving your team Pride of Ownership is crucial to their engaging in the CI process, giving them the sense of fulfillment that is the reward for the passion and work that engaging in CI brings.

Busting the Status Quo 


How often does your company challenge its assumptions? In other words, how often have you looked at what is “obvious” and asked yourself: “Is this ‘obvious’ because it’s factual or believed?” Opgrade can help you bust the status quo by asking “Why are things done this way”.

Skills Escalation 

As things begin to change, the actions that people take to get the work done will need to change as well. What is your plan to escalate skills – is it planned or ad hoc? With Opgrade, planning skills training and escalation procedures is part of the process of implementing a Lean program, and your employees will be grateful (and more productive!) for what your investment in their skills bring to them and their work.



Setting Expectations

As change is implemented, expectations must be set. What is the best way to do this – one-on-one, or in groups? At Opgrade, we review your situation and processes to determine the best method of communicating expectations to the workforce.

Recognition and Reward


We are social creatures and the ability to earn our compatriots respect is crucial to our well-being. With the data obtained through the implementation of a Continuous Improvement program, establishing metrics and objectives goes a long way for employees to establish a baseline for earning each other’s regard and a springboard for actions that deserve special recognition.

Measures and Countermeasures


What is your plan to get on track if KPI’s are missed? To eliminate the root cause of these missed KPI’s, countermeasures are taken so that a plan to get back on track is quickly formulated. Action plans will be drawn up, team members assigned, and these countermeasures are to be maintained until the goals are no longer missed.

Lean Daily Management 

Lean isn’t something that occurs in special meetings, during periods of hurried activity: it is something to be managed daily, from gemba walks to one-on-ones with team members. Managing a lean process the “same old way” will eventually derive the “same old results.” Opgrade assists your management team to making the Lean transition, making the implementation of Lean among the management level a success.

Leader Standard Work


Fundamental to any company adopting a Lean approach, Leader Standard Work is critical to maintaining the success of the Lean initiative. As your company has detailed instructions on how to build products and operate machines and systems, Leader Standard Work does what its name implies: it standardizes the work of leaders, changing management from individuals sitting in their offices reading reports to team leaders actively engaging the workforce both out in the open and in various mentoring sessions.

Shift Transition Performance

Does everything come to a stop during the transition between shifts? Are your shift transitions properly optimized so that there is no stopping of production at the end of any persons (or group of persons ) 8 hours? Opgrade analyses your processes to work this problem, making sure that the end of the day doesn’t necessarily mean the end of production.


© Opgrade LLC

Continuous Improvement Consulting

San Antonio, TX